Quick thoughts on Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary (preview)

The true test for any game is how it holds up over time. Some games such as Super Mario Bros. play just as well today as it did 26 years ago because its core gameplay doesn’t rely on gorgeous graphics or trendy gimmicks. It’s pure and essential.

Entering its 10th anniversary, can the same be said for Halo: Combat Evolved? I returned to the campaign at an even a few weeks ago. I had a chance to play the Anniversary edition developed by 343 Industries. The redone version features high-definition graphics and a remastered soundtrack recorded at SkyWalker Sound. It includes achievements and naturally hidden skulls.

The studio calls it a birthday present for Master Chief. Going back, everything was familiar and new to me. I kept on switching back and forth between 2001 graphics and 2011 ones. The game lets you do that by pressing the back button. I had no trouble navigating the Pillar of Autumn or the Halo itself. There’s a lot of memories tied every corner, every hallway, every rock and tree of the first few levels, but at the same time, the game shows its age despite the new coat of paint.

GOING RETRO: Playing the Annivesrary edition, you see how far the franchise has, well, evolved. Bungie, the original developer, has come a long way in terms of cinematography with its cut scenes and the level design. As far as the genre goes. you see how the first-person shooter has transformed from the run and gun gameplay to the more slower-paced, iron-sight heavy battles. Just the fact that my partner threw a grenade when he was trying to aim was proof of that.

A DESIRE TO KEEP TO THE ORIGINAL: I emailed Kevin Grace, franchise manager for 343 Industries, about the studios’ approach to Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. More specifically, I wondered why they didn’t fix any of the issues with the first game. Were they scared of George Lucas-fying the original. I mean there was bound to be some changes, given that the ugly monstrosity that is first Xbox controller doesn’t even resemble the one we have now. (By the way, you can change the control layout of the game.)

“The question of whether we wanted to change the gameplay of Combat Evolved was VERY quickly answered “no!” when we started this project,” Grace said. “The technology of bringing games to life has changed so much since Halo started 10 years ago, but the fun of the first game stands up just as well now as it did the first day it came out. Because we decided to have Halo: Anniversary run the actual game code of the first game, that meant that we weren’t going to fix any of the little wrinkles such as intangible trees and hidden unfinished areas…but that’s actually a good thing because fans have turned some of those wrinkles into games of their own and we wanted all of that experience to remain intact as those fans go back and play through Halo: Combat Evolved again.”

A LESSON IN HALO: When it comes to the practicality of updating a classic, the idea of going back to Combat Evolved gives 343 Industries a better handle of the franchise’s fiction and gameplay DNA. After all, tThe developer is tasked with creating Halo 4, and Bungie has left some very large shoes to fill. The experience has been beneficial, according to Grace.

“Remastering the first Halo was a great opportunity to dissect the gameplay and encounters that formed the basis of all future Halo games … we literally went over every inch of every level, character, weapon, and vehicle in the game as we were bringing the graphics and sound up to the new Anniversary-quality level, and in doing so we learned (or were reminded of) so much about the game and the fiction. .. Since we have some plans in store for Chief going forward, this was a particularly relevant effort for us as a studio.”

Moving forward, what the team learned most working on the Anniversary project is how important storytelling is to the universe and how important Master Chief is to the narrative. In a way, Master Chief is Halo after all is said and done, the franchise can’t exist without its hero. It’s like Star Wars without Darth Vader.

From what I played, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is a friendly reminder that the first major chapter of the franchise may have ended, but a new one is beginning soon.

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